BRITAIN’S special forces, including the SAS, must be bolstered after their success in Libya, said Labour’s shadow defence secretary last night.

Jim Murphy said that with shrinking budgets and warfare “moving from battlefields to urban settings, our SAS must have a greater role to play”.

He also called for the reform of Nato so that other member countries take a fairer share of the risk and cost of interventions like the one in Libya.

With 50 special forces troops hunting Gaddafi yesterday, Mr Murphy said: “In future interventions they will be vital to success and deserve all the support required. That means the best possible training and equipment but also specialist understanding of the cultures of the nations on our security radar so we are able to support local populations and apply tailor-made solutions, pre and post conflict.”

While praising David Cameron’s “cautious approach”, he said the PM should learn from how tribal groups in Afghanistan were approached as a model for Libya.

Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy called for the reform of Nato

He added it was “not good enough” that only eight out of Nato’s 28 members fought in Libya.